29Closed Cab Pick up roof bows

Ed Saniewski

Well-known member
One of the four wood roof supports that came on my truck has a much greater bow then the others. Probably the reason there was a thin sheet of cardboard on top instead of muslim. Is there a way to flatten it out to match the others? Thanks.
 
One of the four wood roof supports that came on my truck has a much greater bow then the others. Probably the reason there was a thin sheet of cardboard on top instead of muslim. Is there a way to flatten it out to match the others? Thanks.
where is Denville thank you.
 
I thought about steam, but I think I would have to build a box that I would heat and humidify. To sand or plain off the wood, it would end up looking funny. I will try a few cabinet shops around and ask them. Denville is along Rt. 80 about 35 miles outside New York City.Thanks.
 
Have you ever heard of using ammonia to soften the wood to bend it? There are websites that describe how long to immerse the wood in ammonia to be able to bend it to the desired shape. It sounds like the wood fiber bonding loosens in ammonia, but when the ammonia evaporates, the wood becomes rigid again. I haven't tried it, but I think I will in the near future. I need to bend some wood for the beltrails on my 29 phaeton. Someone here on Fordbarn wrote a message about it.
 
Ammonia works but there's a few chemical hazards that go along with it. Better to use steam even though it has it's own hazards.
 
It's probably easier to just cut out a new one to match the others from a piece of oak or ash. None of the new bows that I know of are steam bent like some originals were. I've bought bows from two different companies and they were simply cut to shape. Now, I just make my own.
 
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